Prior art workers have devised a number of hand cleaning brushes provided with means for removing grime from beneath the fingernails. Perhaps the most frequently encountered brush of this type is one in which the brush body is provided with standard scrubbing bristles depending from its bottom surface and a series of rows of short bristles extending upwardly from its upper surface and designed specifically to scrub the fingernails. Such an arrangement often works reasonably well. There are times, however, when stubborn dirt beneath the nails requires an actual scraping action. Under these circumstances, it is not uncommon for one to use a separate tool, such as a pocketknife to accomplish this purpose.
Prior art workers have developed hand brushes provided with scraping-type fingernail cleaners. U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,978 teaches such a brush in several embodiments, each provided with a pointed fingernail cleaner. Since the fingernail cleaner is completely exposed, some care must be taken in the handling of this brush. U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,277 teaches a hand brush provided with a fingernail cleaner shiftable between a retracted stowed position and an extended position for use. U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,313 teaches a brush provided with a pair of identical fingernail cleaners, one located at each end of the brush. While the fingernail cleaners are exposed and some care must be employed in the use of the brush, they are, nevertheless, less exposed than the fingernail cleaners of the brushes of U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,978 in that neither fingernail cleaner extends beyond its respective end of the brush body.e
The present invention is based upon the discovery that a hand and fingernail cleaning brush can be provided which is safer, easier and more convenient to use. The brush has a body with the usual hand scrubbing bristles extending downwardly from its bottom surface. At its forward end, the brush is provided with a centrally located nose. The nose and the forward end of the brush body form a pair of recessed alcoves at either side of the nose. A pair of mirror image fingernail cleaners is provided, each fingernail cleaner extending forwardly of the brush body forward end and being located in one of the recessed alcoves. By virtue of their location, the user is protected from the cleaning ends of the fingernail cleaners. By providing a mirror image pair of fingernail cleaners at the same end of the brush, one cleaner can be used for the thumb of a hand, while the other cleaner may be used for the fingers of the same hand, the thumb and fingers being opposed. In addition, the brush can be used to clean both of the user's hands and the fingernails thereof with equal ease. The brush is also provided with an easily grasped handle facilitating its use.